19.10.10

France Part 1- Paris et le Sud

“Home is not where you live, but where they understand you.”- Christian Morgenstern

Coming back to France has definitely felt like coming home, even if I’ve never been to the city before, there’s always something slightly familiar that I just can’t put my finger on. Despite initial language worries, it has actually been easier travelling here than in Ireland/UK. The reasoning is a bit hard to explain, it’s partly being able to recognize all the foods when you walk into a grocery store, knowing where to go to buy things, and how to navigate the bus/train network. Other than those concrete things, there’s certainly a feeling that this place isn’t so foreign after all.

Paris was stop #1, after a 21h bus trip from Edinburgh that arrived at 6am! *(Ouch) I wandered around the beautiful streets in some (finally) gorgeous weather. All the leaves were starting to change colour and the air smelled like a true autumn day. Paris was as beautiful and romantic as ever, I decided, as I strolled down the riverside boulevards feeling happy to finally be someplace familiar.
In Nice my body got a much needed vitamin D boost from the sun and warm shorts-and-tanktop weather. Clothing and towels finally dried that had been wet since Scotland! This was someplace I had no desire to leave; the city of Nice is absolutely beautiful, cornered between the Mediterranean and the Alps. The Old Port has kept much of its character with brightly coloured streets and the cuisine is amazing! The best part of Nice though wasn’t the city, or the beach, or the climate- it was the amazing people I met there. I felt like I was part of a true family, even for a few days, as I toured around the area with our little international troupe. I soon discovered that Nice is also a great base to do lots of little day trips from to the surrounding villages and beaches. I have no officially seen the rich, deluxe, lavish side of the world after touring Monaco and Cannes; it’s days like this that make the travelling life pale in comparison to material possessions. That thought usually passes pretty quickly though.

Next stop was Marseille. It’s a city I had read about in a magazine, years ago and since then have wanted to visit. The sunny city is right on the Med. and the old port opens out onto a bay spotted with rocky islands (including the Island of If that was immortalized in Dumas’, The Count of Monte Cristo). Walking down the streets everything had a yellowish hue and I could really feel the history seeping from the walls. Out in the newer parts of the city I quickly learned to keep my wits about me as being approached by strangers (even security guards!!!) and hearing catcalls was common. Despite this uncomfy feeling, I put on my Parisienne face (the biggest, baddest scowl I could muster up and a distinct sense of purpose in my steps), and everything was fine. Travel is such a learning experience.

Next came a small city that to me was just a dot on the map, turned out it had been Picasso’s home in France for a while and, surprise there were a couple of Roman coliseums to check out. I felt slightly out of place, as most of the travelers there were at least triple my age, but hey, maybe it just means I’m ahead of my time? Montpellier was next, and I managed to find a friend of a friend through Couchsurfing to start off my time there. A beautiful, cool, hip, funky, VERY clean city, Montpellier had a great ambiance about it. I could actually see myself going back there and staying for a while.

Next stop Brive. This is home for me, since I lived there for a while back in High School. It’s hard to even imagine right now, truly coming home to someplace that feels just as comfortable as returning to Canada, where people already know me, and for once during this year I will no longer be a traveller or a tourist, but a visitor coming home.

P.S. if you want to check out photos, they are on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=293293&id=511087593&comments&po=1&notif_t=photo_album_comment

C'est tres, tres bon, ma petite fille. OK that's the extent of my french for this piece. What a great travelogue! You should freelance for the EU tourist association and get a big commission. Happy travels as you continue through France, the country with a thirst for strikes.